


Amazing Grace

by xx_Katastrophe



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Minor Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:55:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26781751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xx_Katastrophe/pseuds/xx_Katastrophe
Summary: After another embarrassing defeat, Gabriel completely breaks. Nathalie helps to mend him.
Relationships: Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur
Comments: 51
Kudos: 83
Collections: GabeNath Book Club and Art Club Server





	1. Chapter 1

Hawk Moth had done it. He had finally drafted his master plan, his magnum opus. With Mayura by his side to assist, surely their plan would not fail. It was getting old, loss after loss, failure after failure. He just wanted to win, especially because sometimes his job was starting to feel old and mundane. Not just as Hawk Moth, but as Gabriel as well. Design, meeting, design, meeting, maybe sewing… Day to day life was the same, but everything became more and more bland. Any food he ate tasted like cardboard, and the colors of his fabric all looked the same. Time began to move slower, and his energy depleted faster than he could imagine. No amount of coffee or energy drinks could fix it. But worst of all, he was taking any target he could. Even if that meant akumatizing Mr. Ramier for the 75th time. Living this double life was becoming harder and harder by the day, growing with his doubts. His guilt only grew- lying to his son was the worst, knowing the consequences of what would happen if truth got out. The more his guilt grew, the more he tried to shut Adrien out, and try and distance himself emotionally from anyone. Unfortunately, his growing distance, lack of energy, motivation and enthusiasm did not go unnoticed, as he hoped. He asked himself, “ _ Is this all worth my time? Is it worth my heartache and sorrow? Or is it all for naught? _ ” He sent his prized akuma away, watching it fly out the rose window.

Watching the akuma alongside him, the person he had grown closer to by the day noticed that he was smiling for the first time in a while. Nathalie has known Gabriel for years- he was a charismatic, charming, successful and seemingly happy young man. He had everything a man his age could possibly have wanted- lots of money, a great house, his own business, a perfect family, well, until he lost his wife. Once Emilie had fallen asleep forever… Gabriel’s charisma, happiness, and zest for life seemed to be hemorrhaging from him. It pained her to watch. She tried to get him to open up, but he’d just shuttered himself in further. If he didn’t want to help himself, then there wasn’t much she could do. She helped him not just because she loved him, but if she could make him happy by doing this, then she was perfectly fine with the situation. She plucked a feather from her fan, held it in her fist, before gently blowing it away. The breeze carried away the amok, as Mayura and Hawk Moth drew closer together. 

His akuma and her amok were doing fairly well at causing all sorts of trouble- and it seems like that they really were going to win this time! Hawk Moth took Mayura’s hand, and turned to her. “My Dear Mayura… it appears that we are going to win!” 

Mayura gave him a wordless smile, gripping his hand tighter. “As I said, we are much better and stronger together.”

Hawk Moth nodded. The two of them were the perfect evil duo- the mirror to Ladybug and Chat Noir. She was the brains of the operation, and always came up with the most brilliant ideas. She was so loyal to him, and his cause. He would always be forever grateful for her, no matter what would happen to them in the future. If he didn’t know any better, he would think that they were in love with each other… but why would she love someone like him? He had pushed aside his own feelings for the sake of his goal- what he felt was best for Adrien, and for himself. However, he sensed as soon as the akuma was forcibly removed from his chosen victim… he felt something inside of him snap. His heart sank- he didn’t even feel up to giving a dramatic speech about how next time will surely be the time he triumphs. He was tired- tired of losing, and just tired of trying to be a villain. Clearly he wasn’t effective, or he would have won by now surely. Mayura looked over at Hawk Moth while still holding his hand. She sensed that something was wrong. He didn’t look disappointed in his defeat- he seemed absolutely broken. 

“Nooroo… dark wings fall.” Hawk Moth said, voice cracking as he tried to swallow back his upset. The further he tried to push his tears back, the urge to shed them came back twice as strong. Eventually he couldn’t handle it anymore- he fell to his knees, trying his best to hide his face away from Mayura. His fingers curled into fists as his tears flowed despite every attempt he made all this time to hide them away. 

Mayura was worried. She quickly dropped her transformation, as she was immediately right by his side. Nathalie coughed, but still put a hand on his back. She was worried for him more than herself at this point. The last time he got this emotional after a loss was after Style Queen came to fruition, and Adrien was put in harm's way. It seems like her coughing had caused him to crumple further, now laying down on the ground. “Gabriel…” She called his name softly. 

“I… I can’t take it anymore…” He sniveled, as he continued to sob silently, back towards her. She sat beside him, and rubbed his upper arm gently. “What’s the point, Nathalie? I can’t do anything right.” 

“That isn’t true…” 

“Oh really? Then what have I done right recently? I don’t think my son loves me, I can’t get those miraculous… I’ve failed over and over.” He sobbed, as he sat upright, still facing away from her. He was far too embarrassed to let her see him cry. 

“You’ve made a very successful line… I know it’s not much… but it is something…” She replied. “Please, don’t be so hard on yourself, Gabriel.” 

“Being successful at my job just isn’t the same…” He took a breath, but even that couldn’t take away the feeling of his chest being crushed. He was trying to calm himself down, but the tears just kept coming. 

“Well, I know Adrien loves you very much…” 

He turned to her, the redness in his eyes evident, even in the dim light. “You don’t have to lie… he doesn’t love me. He’s always sad when I see him… he only loves his mother. I will never be good enough.” 

She bit her tongue for now. Perhaps if he had actually made time for his son, that would make Adrien less sad, and all these Hawk Moth shenanigans wouldn’t need to happen. What was important was that she was supporting him in his time of distress, just as she always has done. “You know that’s not true.” 

He didn’t disagree with her this time. Instead, he pulled himself close to her, and hugged her tightly. From a distance, Duusu and Nooroo watched their masters. The little peacock kwami was crying too, trying to keep her cries down to a minimum. Nooroo looked on solemnly. His master was never very nice to him, but he needs support now more than ever. The butterfly kwami flew close to his master, and sat on his shoulder. Gabriel said and did nothing, his face buried into Nathalie’s suit jacket. Duusu flew to Nathalie’s side, perching herself on her shoulder. The little peacock buried herself into Nathalie’s turtleneck, as she sniveled as well. Nathalie sighed softly, having to keep her own emotions back. It hurt her inside to see him so distraught. “Let’s get you back upstairs, okay?”

He nodded. “Yes… I just want to sleep.” 

“Gabriel, it’s only 6 pm.” 

“I don’t care. I’m tired. I just want to rest…” 

“Of course, sir.” She replied, as she helped him up. He gripped onto her arm, as they made the way to the platform. His head hung downward, and his body slouched as they traveled upward. She patted his arm. “Would you like me to send your supper to your room?”

He nodded silently, as they finished their journey back into their office. They approached the door, and exited out into the foyer. Adrien was sitting at the dining room table, eating his supper as he looked over and smiled at them. Gabriel looked back, but didn’t smile, and instead, headed upstairs to bed. Nathalie simply watched in silence. Once he had made it upstairs, she decided to sit with Adrien, to keep him company. She sits in the chair adjacent to his left.

“So… I guess Father won’t be joining me for dinner.” Adrien assumed, sounding glum as he stared at his plate. 

“I’m afraid not. Your father told me he was feeling ill, and needed to go to bed.” Nathalie explained. She hated seeing Adrien being upset and constantly let down by Gabriel. 

He dropped his fork to his plate, as he just closed his eyes. He didn’t feel hungry anymore. “Nathalie, what’s wrong with Father? He hasn’t been acting himself… well, less like himself than usual… Is it me? Did I do something wrong?” 

“No, of course it isn’t you, Adrien….” 

“He seems so sad all the time, and is just getting worse by the day… and I know he really misses Mom, but why doesn’t he move on?” 

“It... This isn’t about your mother, Adrien.” 

“Then what is it about?” 

She sighed, as she turned her head to peer into the kitchen for a moment, before turning back to him. “I wish I could tell you, but even I don’t know what the problem is. Your father would at least tell me what was bothering him, and now he just keeps receding further and further into his shell. I just wish he would seek help.” 

“Me too…” Adrien replied, as he finished off his dinner. At this time, a tray came out, to take up to Gabriel. Nathalie stood from her chair, as she took the tray from the chef, insisting that she bring the meal to Gabriel herself. She turned to Adrien. “I’m going to take this up to your father. Make sure you do your homework, study your Chinese and do your piano. You know when your bedtime is, and I assume you don’t need me to tell you what it is.” 

Adrien shook his head. “I think I got it… but you’ll help me if I end up needing help, right?” 

“Of course. Just call me. See you later, Adrien.” She said, as she proceeded up the stairs. As she approached the master bedroom, she rapped on the door. 

“Come in.” He replied. When she opened the door, she saw him already in bed, and in his pajamas. He was slumped against the pillows, as he looked over at her. “Ah… thank you, Nathalie. Please, come sit with me.” He invited her, scooting over to make some room for her, despite the bed having enough space as is. She kicked the door shut behind her as she approached him. She presented him with his supper, and sat herself on the edge of his bed out of respect. “Come closer.” He said softly, as he began to eat slowly. As she scooted closer, she could see him practically forcing the meal down his throat. 

“Is there something wrong with your food, sir?” 

“I’m not really hungry. And this doesn’t taste like anything…” He poked at his green beans with his fork, staring at what remained on his plate.

“But that’s your favorite meal, and it’s cooked just the way you like it… You love this…” 

“I know, I know… but it wouldn’t matter, because everything tastes the same.” He kept eating, slowly. 

She was concerned- he said this before, but she assumed it was regarding that particular dish. “Gabriel, do you think that you should… go see someone for help?” 

“Nonsense, I’m fine.” 

She just sighed, but didn’t have the energy to argue in circles with him. Gabriel Agreste was too stubborn for his own good, even when she knows what’s right. “Alright, if you say so, then.” Her arms folded across her chest, as she stared off at the ceiling. Eventually he had managed to stuff the remainder of his dinner into his mouth. He set his fork down, and finished off his glass of 100% purified water, all the way from Iceland. “May I take this for you?”

He nodded. “But please, come back.” 

She collected his tray, and stood up. As she approached the door, she turned her head over her shoulder. “I’ll be right back.” She exits the room momentarily, to bring the tray down to the kitchen so that the dishes can be washed. She promptly returned to Gabriel’s room, and closed the door behind her once more. Before climbing onto the bed, she removed her shoes, leaving them neatly by the side of the bed. She takes her place by his side again. Without skipping a beat, he embraced her, resting his head on her shoulder. She looked at him pitifully for a moment, before she began to cough, turning her head away from him and coughing into her left elbow. He lifted his head from her, and he frowned at her. 

“I’m fine.” She replied, as her coughing fit settled down. As she looked at him, he saw his eyes brimming with tears again. 

“Oh, my Nathalie, I’m sorry. I’ve been awful to you and now look at you. You’re sick because of my stupidity and failures.” He lamented, as he laid his head back on her again. A single tear rolled down his cheek, and landed on her coat.

“Don’t be sorry… I wanted to help you. I brought this on myself.” 

“I should have been more firm on saying no… Now you wouldn’t be sick.” 

“Gabriel, I said it was fine… please don’t worry,” she coughed again, “worry about me.” Their hearts were breaking. His with guilt and sorrow, and hers with pity and dismay. Nathalie watched as Gabriel’s emotional and mental health fracture with each defeat, and pieces falling away. Gabriel watched as the foundation of Nathalie’s health was being chipped away. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it…” He mumbled to himself, as he held her tight. She held him as well. For the next hour, they laid in silence. He closed his eyes, initially to just rest them, but he ended up dozing off while still holding her close. Nathalie found herself gazing out the window, watching the sun set on another day, and another failure. She had lost track of time, but she hadn’t heard him make a sound in quite a while. When she gazed down, she saw him fast asleep, still clinging onto her as if his life depended on it. He looked at peace, and she would feel guilty abandoning him. Perhaps he just needs to rest up and tomorrow would be a new day, and he’ll be better. She wrapped both her arms around him, and allowed herself to relax. 

“Rest well, Gabriel. Hopefully you’ll be better in the morning...” She whispered softly into his hair. She swore she saw him crack a faint smile. Eventually, her eyes closed, and she slipped into a slumber on her own, despite all the worries floating around in her head. All she wants is to prevent him from completely falling apart, before it’s too late. She just hopes he’ll try and help. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Gabriel finally snaps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: A somewhat graphic telling of a suicide attempt is depicted. Please do not read this chapter if you are sensitive to that kind of content, or at the very least, just skip past that part.

Over the course of the work week, no matter what she did, it seemed like he was getting worse. Yesterday, he hardly lasted in the office. He ended up spending more and time locked up in his bedroom, in bed. At the beginning, he was still working from his bed but as the days progressed, Nathalie would often find him laying in bed either staring absently out the window, or asleep. He’s been sleeping more and more now, and that was even more concerning for her. In fact, it seems like he’s starting to spend less time awake than asleep. Adrien was none the wiser, either. The poor kid just wanted to spend some time with his dad… but every time he asked Nathalie, she just told him she was asleep. The few times he did see him, he was laying in bed. His hair was untamed, growing a bit of stubble on his face, and wearing his pajamas all the time. Adrien frowned a little, as he talked to his dad, albeit briefly. Once their conversation was done, he exited the room. Nathalie was waiting for him just outside, and she noticed that the boy was troubled. They began to walk to Adrien’s room. 

“Nathalie, is Father  _ really _ okay?” He asked. Nathalie wrapped her arm around his shoulder. 

“I think he’s okay…”

“Well, he just seems to be getting worse. He hasn’t shaved or brushed his hair in days…” 

“I know, Adrien. I know you’re worried, and I’m worried too. I promise, he’ll be okay.” 

“He even let me hug him… and he actually told me he loved me when I said it.” 

“You know your father loves you, even if he doesn’t do all those things, right?” 

“I know… it’s just that I’m really scared, Nathalie… I don’t want something bad to happen to him.” 

As they entered his room, Nathalie sat with him on his bed. “I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to him, Adrien. I promise. I know how much your mother’s disappearance has affected you.” 

“You promise?” 

“I promise. Good night, Adrien.” 

“Good night.” He replied, as they both stood up. Adrien walked into his bathroom, and Nathalie exited his room, and entered her bedroom. As she began to wind down for the evening, she suddenly felt her anxiety skyrocket. Gabriel was clearly neglecting himself and she flat out lied to Adrien to save face on just how bad things were getting. He was getting worse, and no matter how much she coaxed him into getting help, he wouldn’t bite and take the bait. When she finished washing up, she got dressed in her pajamas. As soon as her head hit the pillow, her dark thoughts came out to bite her. She closed her eyes in a vain attempt to sleep, but the bad thoughts were biting her. She had all reasons to be worried. 

The next morning, Nathalie woke up. She had finally managed to catch some sleep, though she wished it was a bit more than what she had gotten. When she woke up, she still had that same pit in her stomach. After she had gotten Adrien all out the door for school, there was something inside of her that she needed to go check on Gabriel. Now. Once Adrien had left, she quickly ran up the stairs, and knocked on the master bedroom door. “Mister Agreste?” No response. She knocked again. “Gabriel?” Nothing again. She entered the bedroom, and he wasn’t in his bed. The truly bizarre thing was hearing music coming from the bathroom… it was a song she was familiar with- Amazing Grace… A song that Gabriel never would listen to on his own accord. Alarm bells were going off in her head- she ran to the bathroom, and felt overwhelmed at what she saw. She covered her mouth with a hand. 

“Oh my god… Gabriel!” Nathalie yelled, immediately breaking into tears as she laid eyes on him. It was even worse than she had expected. 

Gabriel turned around, blood dripping down his arms from his wrists and on the floor. There was already quite a bit below him, including the bloodied razor. In his fist were a handful of his sleeping pills, and his eyes were bloodshot. He began to sob as well. “I-I’m sorry, Nathalie… I didn’t want you to see this. Just go.” 

“What the fuck are you doing?!” She ran over to him, trying to coax him into dropping the pills in his hand. “Let go!” 

“I…” He choked, “I can’t take it anymore, Nathalie. I’m useless, I can’t do anything right. I’m a failure...” He hung his head, as he tried to bring the handful of pills to his mouth. Nathalie grabbed him by the wrists, not caring if she was getting herself covered in his blood. She looked at him, and tried to push his arms down. 

Nathalie only began to cry harder as he was resisting her attempts. His guilt was only building further as he heard her shed tears for him in between jagged breaths. “Gabriel, that’s not true…” She shouted in a fit of distress and desperation, as she pulled herself closer to him. 

“Yes it is! Now please, just go away. I don’t want you to see me die… I deserve to die alone.” He retaliated, as his sobs grew louder. He was desperate, and didn’t want to be a burden anymore. He was starting to feel lightheaded, and she could see he was slightly pale. He fell to his knees.

“No you don’t…” 

“Yes I do… please Nathalie, I’m begging you… Just let me die.” He pleaded between sobs, curling up as he took ragged breaths.

She followed him onto the floor, letting him lay in her lap as she sniveled. “I’m not letting you die, Gabriel… Think about Adrien. He’d be devastated… He’s been worried sick over you.” She was gently stroking his hair, the blood on her fingertips staining his locks. Some of her tears rolled off her cheeks, and splashed in his hair as well. 

“You’re just saying that,” He coughed, as his fist started to relax. He was losing strength. Nathalie panicked and wiped her other hand on her pants. She was fumbling for her phone. “Adrien doesn’t even love me… he wouldn’t care. I’ve been nothing but a nuisance to you and him. Look at me…” 

Nathalie’s stomach turned. He was growing limper, as she felt more of his weight shifting on to her. “That’s also not true… I would have told you if you were being a nuisance… ” With a shaking hand, she swiped to unlock her phone. His fist completely relaxed, the pills spilling out from his grip and into the blood on the floor. 

“So… why do you care about me dying or not, then?” He asked. He had stopped crying, but his voice grew quieter. He was starting to fade in and out of consciousness. 

“Because…” She choked down a cry, “because I love you, dammit!” She shouted as she broke into a fit of sobs in rage again. “I love you so much, Gabriel… You don’t know how much you’ve hurt me, and Adrien over the past week!” She dialed 112 as she held onto him tightly. He didn’t get a chance to respond before he slipped unconscious. He was slipping away from her by the minute, growing paler as she held onto his hand. As she explained to the 112 operator, she was becoming incoherent as she explained while sobbing loudly. The operator made Nathalie repeat herself, instructing her to calm down. The few minutes that passed since her initial call and the swarm of medics rushing into the bathroom felt like an eternity. They picked him up, and assessed his vitals. 

“His pulse is there… but it’s weak. We need to go now- he’s lost a lot of blood.” Nathalie overheard one of the medics say to his partner. She was blindsided with another wave of guilt. What was she going to tell Adrien? She had failed him; she promised to keep Gabriel safe, and she couldn’t even do that. She wailed in sorrow as another one of the paramedics, a young woman, comforted her. If he died, this was all on her and she wasn’t sure if she could handle that burden, especially with her clothes and hands stained with his blood. She felt nauseous, and thanked god she hadn’t eaten yet or it may have already come back up. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” She repeated to the paramedic, though her words were garbled with her sobs. 

“Madame, please don’t apologize, you did what you were supposed to,” The paramedic replied, as she pats Nathalie’s back. “Would you want to go with him?” 

She pulled herself together, using her sleeve to wipe her eyes. She nodded weakly, and was allowed to quickly change into some clean clothes. She chose a pair of leggings and an oversized tee shirt he had gifted her. Once changed, they left, and Nathalie took hold of Gabriel’s hand, which now had an IV in it. Though his pulse was weak and his hand was very cold, he was at least stable. The ride to the hospital was painfully slow to her. Nathalie hunched over, as she felt more tears coming. She began to apologize to him again, as she successfully held back. As they arrived at the hospital, the paramedics rushed him inside. Once she had checked him in, the doctors and nurses began to work on him. Nathalie waited in the waiting room, contemplating how to break the news to Adrien. She had to mentally prepare himself for his reaction, because she knew he was not going to be happy with her, or with the situation at hand. She had finally composed herself enough, as she once again, retrieved her cellphone. She couldn’t just call Adrien in class, so she decided to place a phone call to the school. She was redirected to Mr. Damocles’ office. Once she explained the situation, the headmaster sounded quite sympathetic. Their exchange ended there. 

Miss Bustier was in the middle of assigning the students into small breakout groups to discuss their reading last night. Just as she was about to announce the members of the last group, the P.A system activated, followed by a message, “Adrien Agreste, please report to Mr. Damocles’ office.” The classroom froze, as all eyes were on Adrien. All of the sudden, he felt scared, as he was excused to lead to the office. As he walked down the empty halls of the school, he contemplated what he had done wrong- and it was nothing that he could remember. He arrived at Mister Damocles’ office. He was sitting at his desk, and there seemed to be the guidance counselor to his right. 

“Have a seat, Adrien.” Mr. Damocles invited him. Adrien sat down. 

Adrien asked hesitantly, “Am I in trouble, sir?” 

“No… but,” He sighed, “I received a phone call from your nanny just a few minutes ago…” 

Adrien was confused at first, but then assumed he was talking about Nathalie. His heart dropped to his stomach in a flash. “Oh…” 

“Your father, he… was rushed to the hospital. She said that there was an accident. Your bodyguard is coming to pick you up right now.” 

Adrien was taken aback, feeling numb but tearing up at the same time. He had a feeling it wasn’t an accident. “Oh my god… no…” He began to cry softly, as he was handed a tissue. 

“Go and pack your things… I’ll be sure to have your assignments sent home to you with a classmate, okay?” 

Adrien nodded silently, as he stood up. “T-thank you, Mister Damocles… sir.” He hastily exited the office, as he began to walk back to his class. He couldn’t see very well because his tears just kept coming. He was dabbing his eyes with the tissue, and just before he came back to class, he took a deep breath and kept his head down as he reentered the class. He hoped not to draw too much attention, but his reentrance did the opposite. Miss Bustier hastily walked over to him.

“Adrien, is everything okay?” She asked gently, as he was packing up his bag. “Class, please continue your discussions. I’ll be right back.” Once Adrien had packed his things away, she took him out into the hallway, and got to his level. She could tell he was crying. 

“My… my father had to go to the hospital… Mr. Damocles said it was a-an accident but…” Adrien broke down, “I think it was worse than that... “ 

It was painful for her to see a boy who was always so happy and upbeat so broken. She offered him a hug, which he happily accepted. “I’m so sorry, Adrien… I’ll be sending home your homework of course, but you don’t have to worry about doing it all right away, okay? Take your time…” 

Adrien smiled a little, “Thank you, Miss Bustier…” He split from the hug, and wiped his eyes. She smiled back at him, as she headed back into the classroom, and he headed towards the front entrance of the school. When she stepped back into the class, the students had obviously picked up on something being wrong. 

“Is Adrien okay?” A concerned Marinette asked.

Miss Bustier frowned, “A family emergency came up… he’ll be okay.” She explained. Her students began to whisper amongst themselves. She frowned. “Students, let’s get back to work… we can discuss this later.” They mumbled, but did as they were told. 

The Gorilla was waiting outside for Adrien. Adrien stepped into the car, and immediately took Adrien to the hospital, so that he could be with Nathalie, and his father. The Gorilla said nothing, but could tell that the young boy was upset. When they pulled up to the hospital, Adrien gave Gorilla a half-hearted thank you, as he exited the car. When he saw Nathalie waiting for him, he immediately ran to her, and embraced her. “Nathalie…” Adrien said as his face buried in her shoulder.

“Adrien, I’m so sorry… I failed you… and your father.” Nathalie muttered. She was choking up. 

He frowned. “Nathalie… no, you didn’t fail me, or my father. You got him help.” 

“He shouldn’t even be here… I should have kept a better eye on him.” 

“You can’t always keep your eyes on him.” 

“I know… but if something happened to him… I wouldn’t be able to live with that burden…” 

Adrien frowned, as he patted her back. They entered the hospital, and they sat in the waiting room. He had noticed that he was receiving texts from his friends- Alya, Marinette, Nino and even Chloe had texted him to see what was going on. He was appreciative of their concern, but he didn’t feel like explaining to anyone at the moment. The two of them sat around and waited… as a doctor came out. He had been transferred to intensive care for the time being, but at the very least was stable. He allowed them to come and see him. They were led into the intensive care ward, and into his room. Adrien stood behind Nathalie, feeling his chest tightened as he saw his dad laying in the bed. He was asleep, but bandaged up well. He still looked messy- dried blood in his hair and his glasses resting on a nearby table. He was receiving a blood transfusion, one of the few he needed. The two of them stood at his bedside, and looked down at him. The heart monitor was beeping- slowly, but consistently just like his breathing. He placed a hand on his father’s shoulder. “Father…” He said softly, as he rubbed his shoulder. 

“He looks better than he did before,” Nathalie remained as positive as she could in the situation, “so that’s a relief.” Adrien concurred, as he kept looking at his dad. He felt emotional again, as he quickly turned his head away so that his tears could escape his eyes. Nathalie frowned, “Oh, Adrien… don’t cry…” 

“S-sorry…” Adrien blubbered quietly, “He… he looks like Mom, when she was really sick… Brings back bad memories…” 

Nathalie went over to hug him. “I know it does. I’m so sorry, Adrien… You don’t have to stay. Would you prefer to go home?” 

He nodded. “If you don’t mind… I’m sorry.” 

“No, I understand. Don’t apologize.” She said, as she pulled out her phone. She asked Gorilla to pick up Adrien and take him home. She also asked to watch over him while she was gone. He complied, and said he would be there soon. Nathalie offered to come walk Adrien down to the parking lot, but he insisted he’d be okay walking himself. Adrien left and said his goodbyes to Gabriel and Nathalie. Gabriel said nothing, but Nathalie promised to give him a call in a few hours to check in. She watched as he left, and then turned her attention back to Gabriel. She delicately took his hand. It simply laid limp in her grasp, but as she squeezed it gently, she swore that he weakly squeezed back. She smiled sadly, as she sat in silence. Her eyes welled up as she watched him, mumbling an apology to him as she kept her voice low. 

When Adrien got home, he immediately headed upstairs. Gorilla felt bad for him, but obliged the young boy’s request to have his lunch sent to his room when he asked for it. He flopped on his bed, laying on her belly. It was still early in the day, but he was ready to go back to bed. He was emotionally spent, and finally decided to reply to his friends. He opened up the message from Nino. Adrien began to pour his feelings and heart into his response. He couldn’t muster the strength to send a different message to his other messages, so he copied his message, and sent them all the same response, just changing a few words. Once he was done, he buried his face into his pillow. Plagg had witnessed the entire situation from the comfort of Adrien’s shirt- and felt bad for his owner. As much as he wanted cheese, clearly now wasn’t the time. Adrien needed him, and he figured that trying to comfort his owner was the best way to do it. He simply sat on Adrien’s head and pet his hair gently with his paw. 

The text started arriving, and Nino was the first to read his. The kids all were curious, and surrounded him. Alya and Marinette watched his face fall as he read. Alya raised an eyebrow and asked, “Well, what did he say?” 

Nino sighed, “He said that he left because his dad tried to uh…” He was unsure if it was a good idea to air the truth.

“Just say it, Nino…” Alya replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“His dad tried to take his own life…” He tried to make it gentle. Silence washed over the kid as they looked at each other- they didn’t really know what to say. 

“Poor Adrien…” Marinette said, as she looked down at her feet. “His mom disappears, and then this happens. I hope Mr. Agreste gets better.” 

The rest of the kids agreed. “You know… I think Adrien’s mom disappearing is why Mister Agreste is so protective of Adrien.” 

Alix poked her head between Rose and Mylene, and said, “Well, yeah… wasn’t that obvious?”

“Maybe we should make a card for him…” Rose spoke up. 

“That’s a great idea. And, we can all go to his house to take his homework, too.” Marinette smiled. She asked Miss Bustier if they could make Adrien a card, and she thought it was a lovely idea. Nathaniel volunteered to make the card- and he began to draw everyone in their class giving Adrien a big hug, which they all felt was perfect. In the meantime, Miss Bustier went back to instructing the class. It didn’t stop the kids from using their phones to send texts to Adrien, though. As he was eating his lunch at his desk, Adrien’s phone suddenly flooded with messages from everyone in his class. He smiled a little as he read all their kind thoughts. When he finished his lunch, he set his plate off to the side. He decided to kill some time by browsing the internet- a good video of cute kittens would make him forget how terrible his day had been. He sat back and turned on the kitten videos. He felt himself smiling again, and forgetting his pain for a moment- hoping Nathalie was trying to do the same. 

Nathalie was still keeping vigil at his bedside, still holding his hand as she waited. It’s been a few hours, but she was only hoping he’d awaken soon. She felt him stir and heard some grumbling coming from him. She perked up, and lifted her head to look at him. His eyes opened and widened immediately as he panicked. “Where am I?” He asked in a groggy voice. 

“You’re at the hospital… Do you remember what happened?” 

“Um…” He had to think for a moment, “oh, yes… I do.” 

She swallowed a lump in her throat, “how are you feeling?” 

“...I don’t know. Where’s Adrien?” 

“He’s at home. When he visited, he cried and told me that seeing you like this in the hospital reminded him of Emilie. He was scared you were going to die, Gabriel.” 

He looked down at his lap. He felt shameful- he had acted on impulse and didn’t think about his son in the heat of the moment. “I… I’m sorry, Nathalie.” He felt his eyes becoming watery. “I’m so stupid.”

  
  


“No… Gabriel, you’re not…”

“Yes I am…” His fingers tensed. Soon, he was embraced by her. 

“What’s important now is that you’re starting on the mend. Would you like to call Adrien?” She asked as she pulled away. He nodded weakly. She hands him his cellphone, and he carefully dials Adrien. 

Adrien’s focus on watching the cute kittens on his screen was broken by the jarring sound of his ringer. He pressed the spacebar on his keyboard and checked to see who was calling. His heart skipped a beat as a wave of dread washed over him. He saw his father’s number and picture appear on his screen. He answered, and offered a hesitant, “Hello?” 

“Adrien? Adrien, I’m so sorry…” Gabriel said. Adrien could tell that his father sounded all choked up. 

His dread subsided. “Father! You’re awake... ” He cried once more, but this time in relief. 

“I’m sorry, Adrien…”

“I’ve forgiven you, Dad… but please… please go and get help. I don’t want this to happen to you. You shouldn’t feel so sad all the time. I know it’s been hard since Mom disappeared, but please, you need to take care of yourself better...” He pleaded desperately, and Gabriel listened. 

Gabriel mustered a small smile, “I will, son. I promise. Nathalie will make sure of it as well… And the doctors. I need to stay overnight, just so that they’re sure I’m okay.” 

“Good…” Adrien’s attention got taken away, as the Gorilla knocked on his door, and then opened it. “Sorry Father, it looks like I have guests. My friends came by to drop off my homework for me… I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.” He replied.

Gabriel froze for a second as he looked to Nathalie. “I love you too, son… Enjoy your friends’ visit. Goodbye…” He said, as he hung up. She looked at him, and smiled a little. She gives him another hug. He slowly hugged her back. “And I’m sorry to you too… for having to see what you saw. I only made you feel worse and more upset. ” He mumbled.

“Don’t be sorry… I only did what I needed to do. I don’t care about myself right now. Do you promise me we can start seeking a psychologist for you? And a therapist?” 

He nodded. “Yes, please. I don’t want to let Adrien down again… and I don’t want to leave you.” 

She smiled at him, and only hugged him tighter. He embraced her tighter, inviting her to sit on the bed with him, which was much more comfortable for them. He stroked her hair gently. 

“I was lost… and then you found me. I was blind, but you helped me to see. Thank you, Nathalie… I’ll need to thank Adrien as well.” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel checks into rehabilitation.

After some consultation from the doctors, they, along with Gabriel and Nathalie, believed the best course of action was to put Gabriel into a rehabilitation program. He opted to go to a luxury rehabilitation center in Switzerland. When he was discharged from the hospital, he was to go home, pack his bags and fly out that night. He was grateful for the chance to say goodbye to his son before he goes. Nathalie and a fleet of nurses escorted Gabriel out of the hospital, where Gorilla was waiting for them. She opened the door for him, as he got himself into the car. She follows suit and sits next to him as she shuts the door behind her. As they rode home, Nathalie noticed Gabriel being rather quiet, just staring out the window. There was a small smile on his face, something that would never occur otherwise. She wondered what was going through his head. 

The car ride was a blur for him- several thoughts were swirling around his head. Nathalie, Adrien, and life in general. His thoughts on his own life and his purpose were starting to change. Perhaps he should be more grateful for what he already has. He was startled out of his headspace by a “Sir?” from Nathalie’s lips. Her hand was on his shoulder. 

“Sir, we need to get you packed by the end of the afternoon. We’re here.” Nathalie reminded him gently. Gabriel turned to look at her. 

“Ah, right... Of course.” He replied softly. She helped him out of the car, and walked ahead of him to open the door. Adrien had been waiting for them, and he smiled warmly. 

He ran up to Gabriel and gave him a hug. “Father, I’m so glad you’re home! I was so worried…” Adrien trailed off as he looked up at his father. 

Gabriel frowned, beginning to feel guilty when Adrien expressed his worry. “I know… I’m sorry.” He hugged his son close. “I need to get packing, though…” 

Adrien’s expression became crestfallen. “Where are you going...?” 

Nathalie intervened, “At the direction of the doctor, your father is going to a rehabilitation center in Switzerland for a few weeks. They’ll help him get better.” 

Although Adrien was disappointed that his father was going away, he understood it was important for Gabriel to get the help he needed. “Oh, I see. This will be good for you, Father.” He hoped that his father would learn to move on, as well. 

“I think so too. I’m so sorry that I have to go.” Gabriel pulled himself away, as Nathalie began to lead him upstairs. Adrien followed behind, but then excused himself so that his father could pack in peace. Nathalie was about to do the same, but she was stopped by him. She stayed, despite her increasing discomfort, especially as she looked towards the bathroom. The smell of blood overwhelmed her and made her feel queasy. She sits down on the edge of the bed and closes her eyes tightly. The nausea wave was gone but the whole scene two days prior plagued her thoughts so vividly. As he tossed some of his more casual clothes into a suitcase, he looked over at Nathalie. She looked a bit pale, and almost as if she was deep in thought. He frowned, and walked to her. “Are you alright, Nathalie?” He asked softly. 

Nathalie’s eyes opened as she looked at him. The concern on his face seemed genuine, so she gave him a small smile. “I’m alright. Just… thinking.” 

“Ah, alright…” He replied, as he surveyed his suitcase. He had several changes of clothes, a toothbrush, his cellphone charger, laptop and tablet and their chargers, and toiletries. After confirming he had everything he wanted, he shut and zipped up the suitcase. “Well, I suppose that’s everything…”

“Shall I arrange your jet for you, sir?” 

“That would be great.” 

Nathalie smiled, as she called the flight company to arrange for a private jet. As she did that, Gabriel got up and walked to Adrien’s room. He figured he may as well spend a bit of time with his son before he leaves for a few weeks. Gabriel’s request was to hear his son play piano for him- and Adrien agreed, if Gabriel promised not to nitpick as he usually did. He agreed, and Adrien began to play the piece he had been practicing all week. Gabriel sat back and closed his eyes- he even found himself humming along to Adrien. It wasn’t perfect, but it was still pretty good. As he finished his song, Gabriel’s eyes opened. He saw Adrien, giving him a nervous smile. 

Gabriel stood up. “Adrien, that was wonderful. Keep up practicing when I’m gone. Just because I won’t be around doesn’t mean you start slacking.” 

“Thank you, Father… I know.” Adrien said, as he sighed. He was going to miss his dad. “Well, I guess this is goodbye…” 

“It won’t be forever, Adrien.” He said quietly, hoping the young boy wouldn’t make this harder than it already was. This is the longest time he’d be away from his son ever, and he had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it would be nice to escape his hectic life for a moment to focus on his shattered mental health, but he’d miss his home, his family, and Nathalie. Adrien hugged him, and of course, he returned the hug. “If you miss me, you can message me, okay?” 

Adrien nodded. He was worried about his father leaving, but more importantly, he was worried his father would try to hurt himself again. The thought of losing his father forever made him feel sick- his mother disappeared and he couldn’t imagine losing his father so soon after. Gabriel had let him go, and headed towards the door. They waved goodbye to each other, as Nathalie emerged from the master bedroom with his suitcase. 

“Sir, we should get going. I have your flight, and ride to the rehabilitation center.” She handed off his suitcase to him, coughing violently into her elbow. He dropped the suitcase and immediately put his hands on her shoulders. Her coughing stopped as she wearily looked up at him with a smile. “I’m alright.” 

He frowned, knowing that he wasn’t okay. “I promise, I’ll look into finding some sort of cure for you while I’m gone.” 

“You don’t have to do that…” 

“Yes I do. This is all my fault.” 

Nathalie picked up the suitcase. “No, it’s not... Now come on, Gabriel.” She ushered him down the stairs. Their ride was already waiting outside. They got into the car, and the chauffeur headed to a smaller airport, just outside of Paris. They figured they could avoid the paparazzi this way. Gabriel was 100% certain that he didn’t want this to come out to the public yet, if ever. As they rode to the airport, he and Nathalie remained quiet. It was almost too quiet for him, and it made him slightly uncomfortable. She seemed alright with it. As they arrived at the airport about 45 minutes later, Nathalie got out of the car on one side, and Gabriel the other. She got him his suitcase from the trunk, and handed it to him. They stared at each other momentarily. 

“...Take care of yourself, Nathalie. Please.” 

“I will, sir. I’ll also take care of your company for you in your absence.” She assured him. 

“But don’t overwork yourself.” 

“I won’t… I won’t. I suppose this is goodbye for now.” 

“I suppose so.” He said, as he took his suitcase from her hand. She turned around to get back into the car, but he stopped her by tugging her into a hug. “I’m going to miss you.” 

She smiled softly, and gently held his arms. “I’ll miss you too.” 

Eventually, their hug had to come to an end. As Nathalie got back in the car, Gabriel looked back over his shoulder and bid her farewell. She returned the parting greeting, sighing sadly as the car began its journey back to Paris. Gabriel heaved a sigh as he watched the vehicle driving off. He missed her already, and it hasn’t been a minute. He headed into the airport, and got himself through security and luggage check. With his passport in hand, he found his way to the gate, and sat down. He decided to look through his carry-on bag to see what she had packed for him. She had casually mentioned that she packed a surprise for him. He unzipped his backpack, and began to look through its contents. He noticed a book in there that he certainly didn’t add. He pulled it out, and examined it. It seemed like some sort of romance drama novel. As he opened the cover, he noticed a note. 

_ “I decided to loan one of my favorite novels to you while you’re away. I know this isn’t your normal reading preference, but I think you may like this one. I hope this finds you well. Update me as you read it. When I see you in person next, I hope you’re well on the road of recovery. _ _   
_ _ Yours truly, Nathalie _

_ PS: I requested to have some of your favorite snacks packed for you- check the front pocket of your backpack.” _

He smiled fondly, before closing the book and putting it back into his backpack. “She’s always so thoughtful... And always has my and Adrien’s best interest in mind. I couldn’t ask for anyone better as my assistant.” He relaxed for a few moments, until the gate agent called for him to board, as his jet was ready. He boarded and sat himself in his very favorite window seat as he got himself comfortable. He put in his earbuds, and began to listen to some classical music- something he hadn’t done in a while, and forgot how much he loved to do this. His eyes closed as the plane took off. 

Though only a little over only an hour, he managed to fall asleep on the flight. When he woke, he felt recharged and refreshed. He deboarded and as he stepped into the airport, he looked around. He was digging the change of scenery, even if it wasn’t too much. Lausanne Switzerland was quite lovely so far. He went through customs, retrieved his suitcase, and stepped out into the fresh air. He began to search for his ride, and he spotted a large, black SUV. This matched the description of the ride he had sent to him. He got into the car and settled in for the 30 minute car ride. 

He admired the scenery as he was driven to Clinic Les Alpes- the rehabilitation center that agreed to take him. As they pulled up, he was surprised with just how wonderful it was. It was in the mountains, far away from anyone else, but there were quite a few things he could see- a pool, for one thing, and hiking trails as well. He exited the car with his suitcase and backpack, and tipped the driver generously. Gabriel headed inside to check himself in. The staff got him settled in his room where he would be staying. He saw a few other patients as well- a man around his age and a man and woman who must have been 30 at most. He acquainted himself with them before retreating into his room. He took a moment to admire the lovely mountainscapes out through his windows. The bounty of green grass that was dotted with wildflowers and hiking trails, the vast blue skies with traces of clouds set a serene scene for him. He sits on the edge of the bed, removing his shoes. Tomorrow he started his therapy, so he took advantage of this time to unwind himself- and to start that book she had given to him. He retrieved the book from his backpack, and began to read. 

As she usually was, Nathalie was right. This book was pretty good, even within the first couple of chapters. He decided to take a break from reading after about three chapters, as he found himself hooked. As he ate his meal, he reflected upon the novel. From what he gathered, the main characters were a man, wealthy businessman, Sergei Chubenko and his assistant, Zoya Vyhovsky. He actually found himself relating a lot to Sergei- a lonely man, who’s very dedicated to his job and his family. His wife had died due to a tragic accident prior to the beginning of the book. Zoya had been there with him through that and much more, and very dedicated to her boss, just as Nathalie was dedicated to Gabriel. He smiled fondly at the comparisons he drew, finishing up his meal. The book reminded him of Nathalie, and he suddenly felt closer to her, despite being in another country. 

Before he went to bed on his first night, he made a point to message her. She was just as relieved as he was when she read his message that he was well. She informed him that she was also doing well, and feeling much better. Then, they talked about the book. He told her that he’d started it, but left out the comparisons he recognized between the book characters and themselves. He was made aware that the ending will be very satisfying, and he was looking forward to it. Eventually, they said their goodbyes to each other, and he headed off to sleep. 

The next morning began Gabriel’s consultant with the experts, and he admittedly was nervous. After grabbing a bite to eat for breakfast, he headed off to see his assigned expert. When he entered her office, he was surprised that in the chair was a very short woman with blonde hair tied into a ponytail. She smiled up at him. “Ah, you must be Gabriel Agreste.” 

“Uh, yes… that’s me.’” 

“Pleased to meet you. I am Doctor Zigeler. Now, what brings you to our facilities?” 

He took in a deep breath, knowing that his troubles would take a while to list. He started from when he was young- his parents were never there and slightly favored his brother, and it showed. Of course, it leads to an inferior complex, one that Emilie would take advantage of during their marriage. He broke down in tears as he began to talk about her getting sick. Tactfully, he didn’t mention it being as a result of the miraculous, and attributed to his even bigger breakdown as a result of him being overworked, stressed and missing his dearly departed wife. That was only half the truth- but he couldn’t just out himself as Hawk Moth. Dr. Zigeler handed him a tissue as he began to calm down. He wiped his eyes as he drew in a shaky breath. 

She consoled him, as she began to discuss ways on how he could cope, aside from the recommendation that he also start on antidepressants. She suggested that given his interest in drawing and his job, that perhaps he would like to indulge in some art therapy. He also expressed interest in hiking as well, to which Dr. Zigeler arranged to happen. As a closing remark, she informed him he must check in each day with her, and given his suicidal thoughts in the past, he was already being monitored closely. He thanked her, and stood up. He decided that right now, he’d indulge in some art therapy. He headed to one of the many art rooms, and found that there was a canvas already there, with several paint colors and paint brushes at his disposal. He smiles, as he sits himself down in front of the canvas, and thinks about what he wants to paint. Dr. Zigeler told him to focus on things that bring him joy, serenity and inner peace. It took him a moment, but he knew exactly what he wanted to paint. 

As he looked out the window, he grabbed the paints that would match the colors of the mountain landscape outside. He dipped a thick brush in some green paint, and began to spread it across the canvas in several strokes. The vibrant, open outdoors made him instantly feel at peace. After the grass came the finer details of the grass, and of course, he couldn’t forget to dot in the rainbow of wild flowers in the meadows. Satisfied with what he had so far, but not quite done, he switched to a thinner tipped paint brush. He dabbed it in the black paint, and painted his silhouette. What would bring him even more joy, is to share such a beautiful sight with his beloved son, and so, he painted Adrien’s silhouette beside his own. Father and son were looking to each other, with big smiles on their faces. This is what would bring Gabriel much joy, serenity and inner peace. 

Once his painting was completely dried, he cleaned up the mess he made to the best of his ability, and then picked up his dried masterpiece. He loved it, and couldn’t wait to show Adrien, though he’d have to wait until later, as he was currently at school. He also couldn’t wait to continue reading the story of Sergei and Zoya either, though that would have to wait until the evening. In the span of the few hours he spent painting, he realized that afterwards, he was ready for lunch. He headed to the cafeteria, where they had just started to serve lunch. Much to his pleasant surprise, his meals were almost as good as what he was served by his own chefs back home. Fresh fruits, vegetables and meats were obviously used, and prepared by hand as well, and as they say, good food also leads to a better mindset. 

After lunch, he spent the better part of the afternoon outside. After dropping off his art piece in his room, he took a hike through the mountains with a group of other patients and their guides, as he was itching to explore what beautiful sights these Swiss mountains had to offer. He certainly wasn’t disappointed, especially when they reached the end of their trail. The end provided a wonderful overview of all the small towns and villages below, and he slowly began to understand that life had lots of beautiful things to offer, once he was pulled out of the dark recesses of his thoughts. He had forgotten his cellphone in his room, or else he would have snapped a picture to remind himself of the beautiful outlook he reached. He would also envision the gentle breeze through his hair and across his skin and the sounds of just the grass beneath his feet as he walked. Perhaps leaving his phone behind was a blessing- as he didn’t fret over missing something work related or missing an important phone call. 

Old habits die hard, however, as Gabriel immediately retreated to his bedroom as their group returned from their hike. Thankfully, he hadn’t missed any urgent messages or emails, however, when he glanced at the time, he noticed that Adrien should be home. Now, he could show his son the painting he made. He was certain that he’d love it. He decided that he should call Nathalie first, just to make sure that his son was actually available. On his tablet, he pulled up the video chatting app, and dialed Nathalie. A few rings later, and she answered. She smiled softly at him. 

“Hello sir, how are you doing today?” She greeted him.

“I’m well, Nathalie, thank you. I hope you’re taking care of yourself.” 

“Yes sir, I am. How did everything go today?” 

“It was great so far… is Adrien available? I would like to speak to him.” 

Nathalie looked over Adrien’s schedules, “Yes, he is. Would you like me to put you through to him?” 

“If you wouldn’t mind.” 

She nodded, as she paused the call. She headed up to Adrien’s bedroom, with a knock. “Adrien? Are you busy? Your father would like to speak to you” 

Adrien lit up. “Yes, please come in.” He said. Nathalie enters his room, and holds up her tablet towards Adrien. The call resumed. To his relief, Adrien saw his father on screen. Much to his relief, his father looked exuberant at the moment as opposed to the somber, hollow expression he’s become accustomed to. “Hi, Father. How are you?” 

“Hello, son. I’m doing very well at the moment. How are you? How was school?” 

“School was alright.” Adrien responded. He was just delighted his father was spending this much time talking to him about his life. “You look well.”

“I am doing much better… it’s only been a day so far, but I’ve been getting a lot of help, as well as channeling my emotions differently. My doctor suggested that I try art as one way… She suggested that I try painting something that brings me joy, serenity and inner peace.” Gabriel holds up the painting, close enough so that Adrien can see. “I figured I would show you.” 

Adrien leaned in- were those two shadowy figures supposed to be the two of them? The young boy felt himself overwhelmed with joy- so much so that tears brimmed in his eyes. “Father, I love it. Can I keep this when you return? It would mean the world to me.” 

“Of course. I was going to give this to you.” Gabriel’s heart warmed seeing his son filled with such delight. 

Adrien wiped his eyes, just thankful that he makes his dad happy as he is. He’s also happy that it seems like his father is starting to get the right idea about life now. “Thank you, Father… and you know, I’m really proud of you. I know how hard it is for you to admit that you can’t do something without help. I’m proud that you’re getting the help you need. I admire that.”

The strings of Gabriel’s heart were tugged. “...I’m happy that you think that. Thank you, Adrien. I don’t think I would be here if it weren’t for you, and Nathalie. You both mean a lot to me.” 

Adrien looked at Nathalie, with a sly smile. Nathalie’s face flushed, trying desperately to avoid eye contact. “Adrien, I believe it’s time for you to start your piano practice.” 

“Oh, right! Well, I should probably go now, Father… I’ll talk to you later?” 

Gabriel nodded. “Of course you will. I’ll see you soon.” He replied. Nathalie exited the room, making sure to close the door behind her. She soon heard the faint piano behind her, growing more distant as she walked down the stairs. She also had to return back to work, but she made him promise that he’d update her later tonight about the progress he made in the novel. He obliged. They said their goodbyes, and they hung up. He decided to make good on his promise, and picked up the novel again. Before dinner, he was able to read two chapters, and after dinner, he was able to read two more. The deeper into the novel he got, the more similarities he pulled between himself and Sergei. It was also apparent that Sergei was slowly falling for Zoya- but was oblivious to it. As much as he wanted to read more, he was growing tired. He texted Nathalie his updated thoughts on the novel, before washing up for bed, and changing into his pajamas. He sent one last goodnight text to her, before settling into a calm, peaceful slumber. As he slept, he was dreaming about that damn novel- but he was in place of Sergei, and Nathalie was in place of Zoya. The dream wasn’t unpleasant by any means, and in fact, it was one of the best he’s had in a long time. When he awoke in the morning, he began to wonder...

What did that dream mean? He hadn’t the slightest clue- though he was confident that Dr. Zigeler could shed some light- he’d have to remember to ask her. 


	4. Chapter 4

As he met with Dr. Zigeler for a check-in, he told her more about how he was feeling, but more importantly, the dream, and all of the context behind it. She listened carefully, jotting it down on her notepad. She smiled at him, and simply said, 

“It sounds like you’re in love to me, Mister Agreste.” She concluded frankly, putting her pencil down. 

Gabriel’s cheeks flushed a slight red. “What? That’s preposterous. I can’t be... She’s my assistant.” 

Dr. Zigeler merely chuckled in amusement. She noted his obvious denial as well, and gave him the sage advice that he’ll realize soon enough, by the end of his stay. She knew too well that he talked to her every day, not just for business… but just to see how she was doing. He insisted that he didn’t miss her, but she rebutted that it was obvious that he did. He eventually gave up, and decided to give the doctor’s wisdom some thought, along with the goals and thought journal prompts she provided him. He took her words, and parted ways with her, until the next day. He was adjusting beautifully to his new environment. No constant badgering, no schedules, no meetings, no work… and no being Hawk Moth. If he were to be frank, he felt more alive today than ever before. He heard that there was a piano somewhere around, and he wanted to find it. Rarely does he get a chance to sit down and play something that means so much to him. On route back to his room, he discovered the legendary piano. 

The sunlight reflected off the cover of the grand piano, its shiny black surface speaking to him. He approached the grand instrument, sitting on the bench before it. He lifted the cover, and admired it. It seemed rather under-used, so he played a middle C. It seemed to be in tune, but now he had no idea what to play. He sighed, as he pulled out his phone, and opened up YouTube. On the trending page, he saw a cover of Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) was trending, and it immediately piqued his interest, though a sensation of pain surged through him. He could feel the razor blade in his hand, though he was holding nothing, the sensation of blood flowing out of him and worst of all… the sound of Nathalie’s cries. He forced the bad memory to the darkest recess of his brain, hopefully for it to never resurface again. He loaded up the video, and he was floored immediately upon discovering it was acapella. Not only that, but the raw talent from these 5 individuals was incredible. 

He placed his phone down on the built-in music stand. The church where the music video was filmed was absolutely breathtaking, swearing he hadn’t seen so much natural beauty in one video before. He felt a tear run down his face as the song ended. The five group members were angels with those voices, and he was touched by the soulfulness they invoked within him. It was profoundly bizarre, knowing he wasn’t one to be emotional over music. He discovered the original version. He started it up, and after just a second of listening to the instrumental, he immediately joined in on the piano in front of him. After the first verse, he joined in on the singing, keeping it quiet and to himself.

_“My chains are gone_ _  
_

_I’ve been set free_

_My God, My Savior, has ransomed me_

_And like a flood, His mercy rains_

_Unending love… Amazing Grace”_

By this point, the tears were flowing much heavier now, as he continued to play. It was a miracle that he was able to still play. They splashed on the keys as he couldn’t sing the words properly without a shaking voice, but instead decided to play along. As the song wrapped up, he pulled himself together. He had to tell Nathalie of what just happened-- and so he did. He picked up his mobile phone and proceeded to shoot her a text, as it was the middle of the afternoon and didn’t want to take time out of her work day. He sent her a long winded message about how coming here has been much like releasing his chains, how free he felt, and how he had to thank her, and God for saving him. After sending the message, he pocketed his phone, and decided to go grab something for lunch. 

Nathalie noticed an incoming message notification on her tablet. She unlocked the device and opened his message. She was… confused. He had so kindly sent the song link alongside the message, and she gave it a listen as she read what he had to say, and she was very much touched as he thanked her for saving him. The lovely song helped and she could see why he felt the way he did. She messaged him in return, telling him that she was just doing her job. She explained how she was feeling better, and she was glad that he was too. She couldn’t wait to see him again. Once she finished replying, she locked her tablet, and returned to work, now humming the song as her fingers clicked on the keyboard. 

After Gabriel finished lunch, he decided that he wanted to make another painting. He headed over to the art room, and found himself with a blank canvas. Since he’s been enjoying that book Nathalie loaned him, he decided to paint Sergei and Zoya, and the dance scene he had gotten to and finished reading. He cracked his knuckles, and got to painting. As he recalled, Sergei was described as a formal man, always donning a signature red suit with a black shirt and a white tie. The man was also blonde with gray eyes, clean shaven, and with a tall and slender physique. Zoya was shorter than her boss of course, with hair darker than the night and with lively, green eyes. She was described as wearing a dress made of pale, dusty blue satin with a slight shimmer, paired with white heels, per her boss’ advice. For someone who wasn’t a fashion designer, Gabriel deduced the fictional character certainly was fashionable. Zoya’s hair was pulled back into a bun and an ornate floral hair pin, he recalled. He smiled, humming a song softly to himself as his paintbrush was working on the canvas. That Dr. Zigeler was a genius, he thought, because picking up painting was mostly her idea. 

Gabriel finished his painting of the pair dancing, with warm and pleased smiles on their faces as they did so. There was a crowd of people watching the two of them dancing, cheering them on as boss and assistant gazed into his eyes. As he looked closely at the fruits of his labor, he was a little more than stunned to see just how much Zoya looked like Nathalie, and Sergei resembled himself. The color rose to his cheeks from embarrassment, and he whispered to himself, _“By God, what am I doing? I only followed the book description, why do they look like this? Stop with these inappropriate thoughts, Gabriel...”_ He chastised himself. He swore the universe was just playing a joke on him at this point, and it was laughing at him. It was giving him pieces of the signs, but he failed to put it together. It wouldn’t be the first time, either. He let his painting out to dry, as he carried his materials over to the sink and began to clean up after himself. Regardless of how the figures turned out, he was still satisfied with his work, and couldn’t wait to show Nathalie. She’d be very invested, at the very least. 

Once everything was cleaned up and put away, he took his painting and returned to his room, and laid it on the desk. Speaking of those two, he wanted to read more now. He untied his shoes, and left them by the foot of the bed. Once he grabbed the book, he sat on his bed, leaning back against the pillows and opening up the book to where he left off. It started off with the party being over, and Sergei and Zoya were leaving. Of course it was dark out, and their cars were parked across the street. The two of them were having a great time, having a lovely chat as they were crossing the street. The road wasn’t well lit, but he noticed a car coming, and quickly. He shoved her out of the way, and she yelled as she fell to the asphalt. As she was about to tell him off for being so rude, she watched as the car struck him, and she let out a blood curdling scream. His body was thrown several feet as the driver sped off. She crawled over to where she saw him land, instantly bursting into tears as she held his hand. They were warm, and wet, with what she presumed was blood. Some of the other attendees were caught off guard by her terrorized scream and rushed to her side to see what happened. Some of them tried to help out, while others called for paramedics. 

“He’s not breathing.” Someone said, “Does anyone know how to do CPR?” He asked. 

“I’m a nurse.” A man spoke, as he approached. He used his mobile flashlight to guide his way over to Zoya, who was now sobbing uncontrollably as she held her boss’ hand. The kind stranger began CPR measures on him, as her friend, Oksana, came to her side to calm her down. Within minutes, several paramedics and police were at the scene. The paramedics took over CPR for the stranger who started, as the police started asking around with what happened. Zoya was a wreck, hardly unable to speak coherently as she described how she was pushed out of the way before he was hit by a speeding black sports car. The paramedics loaded Sergei into the ambulance, and asked Zoya if she’d like to come along, She nodded, and the police let her go so she may be with him. Thankfully, they were able to get a pulse, though it was quite weak. His prognosis looked very grim, and she was well aware, but she wanted to keep herself together, for his sake. 

Gabriel had to stop for just a moment. He left his finger in place as he closed the book. He wasn’t expecting this novel to take such a dark turn, and he needed a moment to process. Zoya’s heartbreak really hit him, and realized just how foolish he was to try and make a permanent decision so drastic. He was starting to feel guilty and how he surely owes Nathalie a big, fat apology for what he’d put her through. After he shoved his guilt away for the time being, he opened the book, and began to read again. 

“Please Sergei, be okay… I love you…” Zoya pleaded to him quietly, as she took his hand again. 

And Gabriel had to stop again. Somehow this was getting harder to read, and not because the writing was bad… it was just bringing back all sorts of bad memories, and rubbing salt into the wounds. His wrists still hurt from where he had cut himself, and those wounds were aching now, and also randomly and vaguely remembering Nathalie telling him that she loved him. He didn’t think much of that either- he assumed it was her trying to comfort him the best she could. It was a sweet gesture but he didn’t deserve her kindness in his eyes. He swallowed, determined to finish the chapter. He opened the book to resume. 

As the ambulance pulled up to the hospital, Sergei was rushed inside, with Zoya following behind. She waited in the emergency room, for a doctor to speak to her. Sergei’s immediate family was either long deceased or estranged, so she was the one to be in charge of any decisions on his behalf, which was terrifying to her. What if she made the wrong decision? He would never forgive her and that was the worst feeling. A few hours later, the doctor came out, and took her away to talk to her. 

“Listen… Mr. Chubenko is… he’s not doing too well. His chances of survival aren’t great. He’s comatose at the moment, but stable. Would you like to see him?” 

She nodded. “Yes Doctor.” The doctor nodded, and escorted her to his room. Zoya’s fragile heart crumbled upon seeing him. Tubes, wires, and monitors connected to him. She hardly recognized him. The doctor left, so that she may be alone with him. Zoya slowly walked over to him, and took his hand once more. When she held it, it just felt limp in her own. She blinked back her tears as she looked down at him. Her thumb idly brushed over his hand, and hardly noticed that her nice dress was very dirty, and even had a bit of blood on it from when she wiped her hands on her dress. He may not make it through, but she was going to make sure that he felt loved by her. Maybe that will save him. She hung her head down, and began to pray for him. Once her prayer was over, she leaned over and brushed some of his blonde hair from his forehead, and gave him a kiss. He seemed to have responded, a small twitch going through his body. Zoya smiled, realizing that there was still hope. As that ended the chapter, Gabriel closed the book. He needed a moment to process what just happened, because it was far heavier than he expected.

As the day trekked on, Gabriel carried on with his usual activities- he took another hike, and decided to spend more time catching up on some work matters. He even managed to design one garment based on the wildflower meadows outside his window. After supper, he decided to video chat with Nathalie. He showed her his painting, and of course, discussed the last chapter he read to her. He described just how tragic it was, and Nathalie concurred. He still liked it, of course, but was not prepared for the sudden, but very significant plot point. Finally, he showed her the wildflower inspired dress. Her breath was taken away, and she asked if he’d like to bring this to life, to which he said “Of course I do”. After that, they said their parting words to each other before hanging up for the night. To him, just seeing her face was a serotonin boost. Now, he could go to sleep peacefully and comfortably, which he did. 

As the days turned weeks of his stay went on, he fell into a routine, which he was thankful to have. Painting, hiking, and music have been proving ultra therapeutic for him, and helping him channel his feelings properly. He even managed to create what he considered his best line in several years while here. A line inspired by nature- the snowy mountains, beautiful sunsets and sunrises, the babbling brook, and that wildflower dress that started it all. He couldn’t wait to jump back into work, with a revitalized sense of purpose and invigorated passion. Nathalie and Adrien have noticed how Gabriel’s demeanor has improved and is more emotional, and seemingly filled with life again. Adrien stopped calling him “Father” and transitioned to calling him “Dad”. Gabriel finally told his son that he loved him- more than once, a sentiment that he was glad to finally express. 

If anyone else was just as proud of Gabriel as his son and assistant, it would be Dr. Zigeler. She helped him daily, working through his emotional troubles, strained relationships and knotted feelings. She addressed his grief for Emilie properly, then his relationship with Adrien, and finally, just truly how he felt for Nathalie, though it took him until the last day. On his last full day, she had him in her chair for the final time. She smiled at him as she looked up from her notepad. 

“Now, Mister Agreste… do you remember what I’ve told you?” 

He nodded. “You’ve told me that it’s okay to love people, and that I shouldn’t close myself off to those I love and care for…” 

“That’s right, and what have I told you about inserting yourself and those around you into fictional scenarios as you’ve been doing?” 

“That… It expresses a deep, inner desire?” 

“Correct. Now, that being said… what does that mean about you and Nathalie?” She posed. She could see the inner cogs of his mind going to work. She didn’t think she’d have to spell this out for a middle aged man, but he’d have to put the puzzle pieces together. It looks like he got it. 

“I’m in love with Nathalie, and I want to be with her.” 

The doctor could have practically jumped for joy at his realization. Instead, she just chuckled. “And on your second day, you told me that it was ‘preposterous’.” 

He was fully embarrassed, but also strangely relieved to have admitted that. More of his chains were gone and he’d been set free, on his own accord. “Thank you, Doctor… for everything. I’m not sure what would have become of me if I didn’t come here. I will be sure to keep in touch with you about my progress when I return to Paris.” 

“It was an honor working with you as well, Mister Agreste. Go enjoy your last day here.” She offered her hand for a handshake, which he accepted. He nodded, and stood from her desk, waving goodbye to her as he left. He decided to go on his very last hike. Usually he’d leave his phone behind in his room, however he wanted to take some pictures of the overlooking view he got. When he reached the top of the mountain, he took pictures, and saved them all. After he returned from his hike, he went to lunch, followed by calling Adrien, who should be home from school now. Adrien picked up his phone. 

“Hey Dad.” 

“Hello son, how are you doing today?” 

“I’m fine. How are you doing?” 

“I’m doing fine as well… I am excited for tomorrow, though.” 

Adrien was puzzled. “What’s tomorrow?” 

“I’ll be returning home.” 

Adrien’s voice became filled with excitement. “Really?! I can’t wait! I’ve missed you.” Seeing him through a screen and knowing he’s not somewhere in the mansion was saddening for him.

“I’ve missed you too. I can’t wait to see you in person and give you a hug.” 

Gabriel smiled warmly. “I can’t wait to do the same. I know you have your Chinese lesson in a few minutes, so I’ll let you go. I love you, son.” 

“Love you too, Dad. See you tomorrow.” Adrien responded. Both of them hung up. While he was in his room, Gabriel decided to finish up the novel, so that he may return it to Nathalie tomorrow. He left his phone on the desk, and got up to retrieve the book. He returned to the desk, placing the book down and opening it to the last chapter. It was getting good. Sergei had just woken up from his month long coma, much to the surprise of the doctors. There were several times where they had encouraged Zoya to just let him go, but she believed he’d pull through, and she was right. Gabriel was even surprised. It was almost like Zoya’s undying love is what saved Sergei. Gabriel correlated it to how Nathalie’s love saved him- though in a more metaphorical sense of the meaning. 

After Sergei woke up, he was very confused, but was pleased to see the most consistent person in his life-- his assistant, Zoya. She was overjoyed, but didn’t dare touch him in his fragile state. His first question was, “what happened”. She began to explain what had happened to him, though obviously leaving the parts out of how the doctors were giving up on him. He expressed concern in his business- and she explained that she had it all under control on his behalf and he shouldn’t need to worry. He was relieved, but also deeply touched that his employee would go above and beyond on his behalf. Not only that, but she would always come to visit him, and care for him when she had the chance to. He finally realized that she was the one for him. They were the perfect pair as many said, and she was the only one who understood him. He supposed that he was just too nervous to ruin what they already had to take it to the next step. Gabriel felt himself relating to that. It was silly that he would be terrified of rejection, but Nathalie was the person he was closest to for so many years, and couldn’t bear the thought of a failed romance ruining that. 

After a few more days in the hospital to make sure he was fully okay, Sergei was finally cleared to leave. He was thrilled, and his beloved Zoya was just as thrilled. A team of nurses wheeled him outside, and helped him into the car. The medical staff were more than pleased that he was going home and that he was able to recover. As they waved goodbye, Zoya began the drive back to his house. He had missed the beauty of everything around him, even if it was just the same old thing he had grown used to seeing. He was so close to not being able to see these things again that he had a newfound appreciation for life now. She watched him while also keeping her eyes on the road. The excitement he demonstrated was rather endearing, but mainly she was just glad he was here to experience it. She pulled up to his house, and put the car in park. She got out, and offered help, but he insisted he was fine. She opened the door for him, and he was shocked to see that his house was cleaned, spotless, and he could smell varenyk in the works. 

“Zoya… what happened here?” 

“When you woke up, I called your staff and let them know you’d be coming home in a few days, and to make sure that your home was clean. I also requested that there were plenty of varenyk for your return. All kinds, potato and ground meat especially, including cherry and blueberry for dessert.” 

He could cry. He slowly approached her, and hugged her close. “Thank you, my beloved Zoya. You’re wonderful.” 

She hugs him as well, with a smile. “That is what my job is, sir.” 

“There is something I want to tell you however… but I don’t believe words can express that, so I would like to show you…” He explained, leaning in closer to her lips. There was a slight tint of red on her cheeks, as she leaned into him. Their lips connected, as they kissed each other for the very first time. Though it was kept brief, it was filled with the emotion and passion they both held. Zoya immediately rested her head on his shoulder. 

“Zoya… would you like to be my girlfriend?” He finally asks. 

“I thought you’d never ask.” She responded. The story ended as they sat down to a feast of varenyk, and toasting to their new relationship. Gabriel closed the book, overwhelmed with the catharsis of the end. He didn’t realize a story of fictional Ukranian lovers could speak to him on a deeper level. He simply had to rave to Nathalie about this. But of course, not until he went for one last play on the piano. He headed to the music room, and parked himself in front of the piano. He began to play more classical pieces this time around, but drawing a bit of a crowd among the other patients. After he finished his set, the patients who had gathered him applauded. He stood and bowed, and then graciously allowed another man to take the bench. Gabriel had decided it was time for supper, so that’s where he went. He would miss eating here- somehow food tastes much better when you’re not at home. For his last supper, he got prime rib with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables with a glass of water and he couldn’t ask for anything better. For dessert, he had a creme brulee, which is something he hadn’t had in years. Once he had placed his plates on the dish racks, he returned to his room.

He decided to shower and put on his pajamas early. As he got in the shower, he got a good glimpse at his wrists- fully healed, but with a very obvious scar. He frowned a little, as he tried his best to ignore how ugly they looked. At least he wore mostly long shirts, so he wouldn’t have to look at them as much, and no one would have to see them. Once he was sufficiently showered, he dressed himself in his pajamas, and began to pack up his suitcase and backpack with things he wouldn’t need, like his excess clothes, computer and paintings. He kept his tablet with him, as he decided to read the news for leisure. Ladybug and Chat Noir seemed to have been honored for… who knows what. What frightened him was the presence of akuma attacks while he was gone. He thought it was for the best to leave his miraculous at home while he was here, so that’s where it stayed. He decided to call Nathalie to see what had been going on. He started up the video chatting app on his tablet. 

“Good evening, sir.” 

“Good evening… Nathalie, what’s the meaning of these akuma attacks?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“...I figured that I should send out a few akumas in your absence… so that people don’t suspect anything, you know?” She explained herself. 

His eyes widened as he sighed. “I hope you didn’t exacerbate yourself too much for me on my behalf…” 

“It was nothing. I only did this when I was feeling very well and could handle it.” She assured him with a smile. 

He smiled back. “Thank you, Nathalie. I appreciate you, truly. Now, in regards to that book… That ending was absolutely the perfect ending. What a wonderful story. I didn’t think I would like it, but truly it was wonderful. Thank you for loaning it to me.” 

“I figured you would warm up to it. As I said, it’s one of my favorite stories too… I’m glad that I could share it with you and bring you some joy through this difficult time.” She responded. “Are you excited to be coming home tomorrow?” 

“Oh, you have no idea. I’ve missed you and Adrien terribly. I cannot wait to see you two again.” 

Nathalie blushed. “The feeling is mutual, sir. Well, I suppose I should let you go… you seem to be ready for bed.” 

“I decided to get ready for bed early. Not going to sleep yet.”

“Ah… well anyway… I’ll let you enjoy yourself. Have a good evening, Gabriel. See you tomorrow.” 

“You as well. See you tomorrow.” They waved to each other, and then signed off. Gabriel went back to reading the news, but then also began to think about how he was going to greet Nathalie tomorrow. He supposed that he should keep it formal for when he’s around Adrien, but then become more intimate when they are in private. That sounded like a good idea- if she were to reject him, then at least it would just be between him and her. He couldn’t wait to hug her, and potentially give her a kiss, just like Sergei had. Gabriel was no wordsmith, but he figured maybe his actions would get his point across. With that on his mind, he decided to turn in early, knowing full well that he may not sleep well from his excitement. He placed his tablet on the nightstand, and turned off the light.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end.

When he woke up, he thought he was ready to return to Paris, but slowly realized that he was dreading it more and more. His flight was in the afternoon, so he still had a few hours left. He actually slept in for once, sleeping in until nearly 9 AM. After lying around in bed for a few minutes, he decided to pull himself together and take a shower. Once he was refreshed, he exited and had a towel wrapped around his waist. He got himself dressed in the suit he had worn everyday for years, well prior to coming here, of course. Here, he wore far more casual attire, things from his own “Everyday Casuals” line. He figured that he needed to look presentable for his homecoming. After putting on his undershirt, he styled his hair, slicking back his hair in its normal style. He buttoned up his shirt, adjusted his ascot, and then put on his suit jacket. He both hated and felt comfortable in his signature suit again. He decided to treat himself to breakfast, and quite a large one. With a tray loaded with the works of toast, sausage, eggs, and pastries with a glass of juice and water, he sits down at the table to text Nathalie. 

“Nathalie, I look forward to seeing you in just a few hours. I hope that Adrien will also be available to greet me. If not, cancel all his activities so he can be present. Yours truly, Gabriel.” He typed, quickly proofreading before sending his message. He then promptly chowed down on his breakfast, eating as if he hadn’t eaten in the past week. There was no true explanation for his sudden ravenous hunger aside from nerves. After devouring all morsels of food, he put his tray up on the dishwashing carousel, and returned to his room. He took this time to pack up the remainder of his belongings, and put them by the door. His ride would be here soon. He had also begun to regret eating such a large meal. Before his personal ride was due to show up, he made one last bathroom trip, to void his bowels. He was glad it happened now rather than later. The last place he’d want to be in that situation is high in the sky or on the road. With that taken care of, it was finally time to start his journey home. As he checked out, the staff waved goodbye to him as he put his bags in the trunk of the car, and then got into the back seat. He remained mostly silent as he gazed out his window longingly on the drive to the airport. While the hushed and much smaller Swiss village of Les Avants was lovely, he was ready to return to the hustle and bustle of Paris. At least he had an idea of the perfect vacation spot, when time permits. He couldn’t wait to return to the busy work environment of his company. He couldn’t believe that he was saying he missed working.

When the driver pulled up to the curb of the drop off area at the airport, he got out alongside Gabriel. The driver handed Gabriel his suitcase and backpack, and in exchange, Gabriel tipped the man 500 euros. Getting back into his car, the driver profusely thanked Gabriel for his generous deed, before departing. The fashion designer slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed inside, dragging his suitcase behind him. After he went through security and had his bag checked, he decided to stop at a cafe within the terminal. He ordered a cup of tea, hoping that it would soothe his nerves and his stomach. While waiting for his flight and sipping his tea, he rationed that he was being absolutely ridiculous and he has nothing to be nervous about. He looked around, and then saw there was a newspaper stand that was selling cigarettes. He could go for a smoke right about now. He decided to treat himself to a pack of Gauloises Bleu Clair and a newspaper. “Thank you.” He said to the woman running the stand as she handed him his items. Nearby, he located the smoking area, and took himself to it. He lit one up, and began to smoke it. It was a nostalgic taste- he hadn’t had a Gauloises in many years. Emilie would hate it when he smoked, so he rarely did it… but now he could do so freely.

By the time he had smoked the cigarette to its capacity, he snuffed it out on the ashtray, before heading towards his gate. He couldn’t settle for too long, as he was called to board the plane. His own, private flight, just as he liked. The thought of a large, commercial flight made him anxious. He stowed his backpack on the floor by his feet, and leaned back in the leather seat. He put in his earbuds, tuning into a playlist of calming music. 

Nathalie was awaiting Adrien’s return from school. He should be back any moment. She had spent the better part of her day making sure that everything was cleaned, spotless and perfect for her boss’ return. She took on some of his duties as well in the meantime, making sure Gabriel (the brand) was running smoothly. It was harder than she expected, but there wasn’t a hard task that she didn’t love to do. Besides, she knew he’d be eternally grateful for all the hard work she’d done while he was away. Seeing him genuinely happy, relaxed and rejuvenated would be enough for her. After all the heartache and pain he had gone through, he deserved it. After walking through the mansion once more to check everything, she heard the front door open. 

“Nathalie, I’m home!” Adrien called from the foyer. She peaked her head from around the corner of the upper level. 

“Welcome home, Adrien. I hope school went well today.”

“Yeah, it was fine… Marinette was so nice and gave me a box of cookies, for Father.” He said, presenting a medium sized box, branded with Tom and Sabine’s Boulangerie and Patisserie. “How are you feeling?” 

“I’m feeling fine today. I’ve just been making sure that everything is perfect for your father when he walks through that front door. He just got on the plane a few minutes ago, and will be home in a few hours. I’ve cleared your schedule today because your father really would like you to be here when he gets here.” 

Adrien’s eyes lit up. Even though his father was getting better… he was still shocked that he wanted him to be there. “Really? He does? Well I guess I should start on my physics homework then so I can be done.” 

“Sounds good… Go ahead, then.” She replied, watching Adrien head into his bedroom. She went to sit at her desk, sighing softly. She hoped he had changed, but what if he didn’t? What if his behavior was all a ruse? She wasn’t sure if she could handle that if it were the case… However, she also knew that Gabriel Agreste was no phony, despite the numerous lies he told Adrien about Hawk Moth, about his mother, about everything. To pass the time, she compulsively checked her email for what was probably the tenth time in an hour. Her nerves were soothed, as there were no notable emails for her to worry about either, and radio silence from the messenger app. She supposed he was just taking his flight to relax before jumping back into the swing of normal life. 

The few hours really flew by, as Nathalie’s attention was caught by the sound of a car pulling into the gated estate. She turned to look out the window, and the black sedan was unmistakable- Gabriel was home. On her intercom system, Nathalie pushed the button to Adrien’s room. “Adrien, come downstairs. Your father just got home and will be inside in just a few minutes.” 

She could practically hear his excitement when he replied, “I’m coming, right now!” 

Nathalie stood from her desk, and walked into the foyer. She heard Adrien’s footsteps behind her, and then the front door opened. Gabriel walked in, wearing the same damn suit he always wore. She smiled at him, as Adrien practically ran to his dad. 

“Dad! Welcome home!” Adrien greeted him, hugging Gabriel tightly. Gabriel sputtered, not expecting such a warm welcome, but graciously accepted his son. 

“Hello Adrien… I missed you terribly, son.” He replied simply, squeezing the young boy tighter. 

“I missed you too.” 

“Even if we hardly interacted before?” 

“Yep. It just wasn’t the same without you here.” 

Nathalie chimed in, “He’s right, you know. It’s good to have you back, sir.” She smiled at him, offering him a handshake in front of Adrien. Gabriel accepted the handshake. 

“I’m glad to be back.” 

“Dad, how about I let you get unpacked and settled in? We can talk more at dinner… is that okay?” 

“That sounds like a good idea. I’m sure you’re busy as well.” 

As Adrien started back up the stairs, he turned his head to look over his shoulder.“Oh, also, Marinette and her parents made you cookies! They’re in the kitchen.” 

Gabriel smiled at him. “I’ll have some later. Tell them I said thank you.” Adrien headed into his bedroom, the door closing behind him. Nathalie was also going back to her office, but she was stopped by him. “Nathalie, come with me. Help me unpack.”

An odd request, but a request that she obliged. She took his suitcase and they headed upstairs to his bedroom. As she lifted to lay it on the bed, she struggled. She asks, “Jesus, what’s in here? Rocks?” 

“Just a few extras… for you. And for Adrien.” He replied, with a small smile on his lips. She shrugged. He nodded, to give her permission to to unzip the suitcase. She began to pull out the items. Just some clothes, to start, but then he found some canvases. She pulled them out, and laid them on the bed. A father and son enjoying the outside world. A woman and a man dancing for the crowd. Another man and woman, looking even more so like her and him, seem to be enjoying a romantic moment in the field of wildflowers. She blushed a little as she looked at him. “I didn’t know you were such a talented painter. I see the novel inspired you for the big dance painting, huh?” 

“I used to paint quite a bit in college. Top marks in my painting classes.” He boasted, before answering her question with a nod. “Yes, the novel was truly wonderful. Thank you for lending it to me.” 

“Of course, sir.” She replied, as they kept unpacking the suitcase. He was taking his clothes, and putting them away as she was placing his belongings in piles. They remained silent as they kept unpacking him. She wondered why he was so quiet- perhaps he wasn’t in the mood to talk, and that was okay with her. He’d talk about his experiences when he was ready, not like he was obligated to tell her anything. In reality, he was only quiet because he was planning in his mind on how to make his confession to her. She watched him unpacking his backpack, and pulling out the tablet first thing. That reminded her. “You said you had inspiration for your new line. May I see what you’ve come up with?” 

He smiled softly. “I would love to show you. I believe you’d like all of them.” He takes a moment to show her, sitting down at the edge of the bed and inviting her to join him. She sits to his left, and looks over at what he has to show. An updated version of the wildflower dress she had loved so much, and then the other dresses in his line- Snowfall, Gentle Water, Sunrise and Sunset. It seemed like he even had one more, Aurora Borealis. They were all colored and ready to be manufactured. Nathalie was genuinely impressed- it had proven to be some of his finest work in years. “What do you think?” 

Nathalie put her finger on the tablet screen as it glossed over the Aurora Borealis dress. “Sir, these will be a big hit. Especially this one.” She smiled a little. “You’ve managed to capture the beauty of nature within a garment.” 

“How about you model it for me?” 

“Wh-what? I’m certainly not attractive enough to be a model for your brand…” 

“Nonsense. You’re very beautiful and would be the perfect model for this…” He took her hand gently. “I mean it.” 

Her blush only grew deeper. “...Alright… I’ll do it. But I’ll need some pointers. I’ve never done it before.” 

“Of course.” He chuckled, as he squeezed her hand. After that, they figured that they should at least finish unpacking. When the contents of his bags were removed and put back where they belonged, Nathalie took his suitcase and backpack and stowed them away where she had retrieved them from. Once she returned to inform him, he was holding her book, and invited her in. The door shut behind her as she reentered the room. 

“Nathalie… I just wanted to say thank you. For everything you’ve done for me and Adrien. I’d probably be dead if you didn’t come in when you did.” The strings of her heart were pulled. The grim reality was he was probably right. He would have bled out and then died from an overdose. He handed the book over to her, placing his hand on top of hers. “We really were a lot like Sergei and Zoya, don’t you think?” 

“What do you mean?” She asked. Her cheeks were nearly matching the shade of her red highlight. 

“I mean, Zoya was always there for Sergei, though all his hardships… and her love for him is what pulled him though in the end. To show that he has something to live for. You’ve made me realize that I do have a lot to live for. To see Adrien grow into a man, to see my business continue to grow and expand, and for you. Nathalie, I… I love you. I love you so incredibly much, it hurts. Everyday I was gone, I thought about how much I missed you and how I wanted to see your face again in person.” 

Nathalie was absolutely floored by his little speech. A light-headed sensation washed over her as she tried to formulate words. “Gabriel… do you really mean that?” 

“Of course I do. I mean every word. I loved Emilie, but… I’ve learned that sometimes loving someone means that you need to let go and move on in life. I’m letting her go so that she can rest in peace now. But Nathalie… I believe that you and I were meant to be. Soulmates, if you will. You’ve always been there for me through all the hardships I went through. You helped me with Adrien when I didn’t understand him. You comforted me when Emilie went away forever. You wanted to help me through my evil bullshit, even when I was definitely going too far… even if that meant putting yourself on the line.” He pulled her in for a hug, and held her close to his chest. He definitely could feel her face burning through his shirt and coat. 

Nathalie had no choice but return the hug. Strangely enough, she began to cry. She wasn’t quite sure if she was emotionally overwhelmed from his speech, or if she was just proud of him. She choked a sob back as she finally spoke. “I love you too, Gabriel. I love you more than myself.. So much so I was willing to risk it all for you to be happy. If you being with Emilie is what would have made you happy… then I wanted to help you with that. I always knew that sometimes loving someone means letting them be happy, even if that’s not with you. I’m just so glad that you got the help you needed.” She broke into tears again, as Gabriel fetched his handkerchief from his breast pocket. He dabbed her eyes for her. 

“My Nathalie, don’t cry… And, I think I already know the answer to this question, but would you like to be my life partner?” 

Nathalie smiled, eyes still watery. “Yes, I would love nothing more.” She stood up on her toes, leaning in closer to him. She tilted her head to the side and pressed a kiss to his lips. Immediately, he melted into her embrace. He returned the kiss warmly, closing his eyes. There was a certain giddy feeling that came over him. His heart skipped a beat as he felt his soul reignite with love. As they split away from each other, there was a sense of relief they both felt- the relief of feelings being known and the romantic tension finally breaking. They gazed deeply into each other’s eyes. “So… I suppose we should tell Adrien?” She finally spoke up to fill the void of silence. 

He concurred. “Yes, we shall tell him tonight at dinner.”

“You know, he’s just going to rub it in on how he was right all along, right?”

“Yes, I’m aware. Who cares. I’m sure he’d be happy to know that it was with you, and not some random woman.” He teased. “Let’s go grab some of those cookies… as a celebratory treat.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

Before they left the room, they exchanged one more quick kiss. All his hard work hadn’t been for naught. He had been so lost until he had found her… he was blind, but now he sees that she was the happy ending he worked so hard for.


End file.
